Israel Water Technology Sparks Business Venture

Millionare Richard Branson has launched a new business venture, “Virgin Pure,” using technology imported from Israel.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

First Publish: 5/31/2012, 7:02 PM

Living waters

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Millionaire and entrepreneur Richard Branson has decided to launch a new business venture, “Virgin Pure,” using technology imported from Israel.

Branson recently visited the country and met with Israeli technology companies and scientists, leading him to pursue his most recent undertaking.

When Ofra Strauss, Chairman of the Strauss Group, handed him water that had been purified using technology her company invented, Branson decided to launch a venture of his own.

“Ofra showed me the machine in Israel and I wanted to buy one for our family. I realized how few homes had one of these,” he said.

The Strauss company, a food and beverage empire, which began 75 years ago as a dairy farm, developed the technology inside the machine and has already made strategic partnerships with Pepsi, Danone and Frito-Lay snacks.

The machine filters, boils, and chills water and incorporates the technology engineered by Strauss, and will appear in Britain before expanding into other countries.

Due to the machine’s price, at nearly $420, Britain was chosen as an opening market for the country’s love of tea and the 10 million homes that use bottled and filtered water only. According to company research, Britons are likely to invest in the machine in order to make long-term savings.